Stripped Trust
by Harmony283
Summary: He was not who I thought he was. He had not changed in the way I thought he did. But of course, I should have known that. ‘After all, I only heard from spoken mouth what he had done.' Ch.2 FINALLY UP! MosesXJay plus others! R&R please!
1. Evening: 01

**I suppose this could be called a random idea splurge, but it's something I've wanted to write for a while now. I'll give a fair warning that this has a lot of 'background' to it (basically, not-immediately explained stuff that in one way or another caused the situation in this fanfic to be the way it is), and even though it might sound a bit confusing because of that, I hope it works out in the end. (Note: to make stuff work, I switch POV's around a lot—meaning some get a few pages, while others get just a few paragraphs). **

**Pairings: Multiple (most obvious, some maybe not so much) **

**Time Line: About 7 years after Tales of Legendia**

**Summary: Things have changed on the Legacy after seven long years. The people, too, have changed. Once old friend's now bitter enemies. But what happens when a horrible disease beings to spread among the Ever-growing Bandit tribe and Moses, as their faithful leader, tries to find the cure? The thing is, it's not a normal disease, and he'll need to call on his group of old friends—that, along with him, helped him save the Legacy 7 years ago—to help. The big question is: Will they help? **

**Warnings: Shonen-ai/Yaoi, shoujo-ai, bad language, alcohol use, violence (later on), and confusing and abrupt (maybe?) plot twists/unexplained reasoning that will be explained later. **

**Heed the warning carefully! And push the back button if it scares you! But if it doesn't then, please, enjoy!**

**:Evening:01:**

(Jay's POV)

"That's not it." I turned my head slowly, watching as the redheaded man walked along the brick lined walkway, his companion, green haired Csaba, following closely at his heals, "It _ain't_ it." The redhead muttered again, running a hand through his slightly longer—and much messier—hair, "It ain't that easy. I know I'm an idiot—it can't be that easy."

"Boss—Moses…!" My eyes narrowed as Csaba placed a comforting hand on the man's tanned shoulder, "Don't beat yourself up over this. It really _could_ be this easy. And if it is then that means we can find the cure that much faster!" He attempted to smile, but I saw right through it, at the half lie hidden in the cushioned words.

But Moses, being the idiot he was, fell for it in an instant, "Thanks Csaba," he smiled warmly at his companion, "I jus'…think I think a little too hard sometimes! An' y'know I ain't no good at thinkin'."

"I know." Csaba mimicked the warm smile, his left hand twitching slightly, "It isn't like you. Now let's hurry, I'm sure Will must've found something by now."

Moses let out a soft sigh, shaking his head before covering his eye-patch with his hand, "Yeah. The others'll probably be there too, won't they? Senel? Bubbles? Chloe? Even Shirl?" a sad smile etched it's way across his lips, "Doubt Jay'll be there," I was mildly surprised he even remembered my name, "He's been gone so long."

"I'm sure he'll show up!" Csaba quickly refuted, "He…can't be _that_ cold hearted! You used to be so close, how could he just abandon—"

"He'll come if 'e comes." For a moment I saw a deeper, darker, expression cross over the Bandit-Leaders face and it startled me, "We can't afford ta wait on 'im if 'e doesn't show." I hadn't expected him to say it just like that, but coupled with the look on his face I knew it was bugging him more than he let on.

'_Figures I hurt him more than I thought.' _I mused silently, shifting my weight marginally on the thick tree branch I was perched on. I watched mutely as Moses and Csaba continued walking, stopping once they reached the front gate to Will's House, before a rather familiar face came out to greet them.

It was Harriet, her brown eyes widened slightly at the sight of both of them, "Ah—Moses. Csaba," she tried to smile, but it came out worried and nervous, "Dad's inside. He said he was expecting you."

Moses smiled sincerely down at her in response before saying, "You've grown into quite th' young lady! How old are ya again?" It would've come off rude if he had been any other person, but then again Moses _did_ have that way of letting his true stupidity show through in compliments like that. Made him seem like he didn't have an ulterior motive behind it.

Harriet seemed to realize this as well and smiled accordingly, "I just turned Sixteen last month. But if you'll excuse me," she bowed her head politely, "I have somewhere I have to be."

"You meetin' someone?" Moses asked, and I _heard_ the joking hint in his voice, but the look on Harriet's face made it known that, all humor aside, he was _right. _He realized this a second too late, continuing in a much softer tone, "I'd ask if Will knows, but I guess 'e doesn't."

Harriet silently shook her head before giving another, less innocent, smile, "No he doesn't. But he wouldn't let me see this person if I told him." For a moment I had to wonder who it was, but her next words more than gave me the answer, "You could say dad thinks of him as a traitor due to a misunderstanding."

"A misunderstandin' that he don't get?" Moses shook his head sympathetically, "I see. I won't mention it then, but where're you _supposed_ to be goin'?"

"To visit…the flower garden, and then Musette's grave." She gave a slightly sadder smile before bowing her head again, "You should hurry. Dad doesn't like waiting." With that as a formal dismissal both men exchanged quick glances before heading in through the old gate, and through the large, and freshly _painted_, door.

But Harriet didn't move at all. Instead she walked over to the base of the tree I was hiding in and said, almost to herself, "I know you're around here." She unclasped the necklace I had given her for her thirteenth birthday—a pale purple shell that matched the one I had hanging around my neck, before looking up into the tree branches, "I doubt Dad knows you're here. You don't _have_ to hide."

"Yes but who says I'm hiding from your father?" I asked, hopping down a few branches until I was on the one directly above her head, "You really shouldn't talk to me while I'm hiding."

"Maybe, but then you shouldn't hide in a tree in front of a house where a man who supposedly hates you lives." She quipped back, redoing the clasp on her necklace before hiding it under her blouse, "Who else would you be hiding from, though?"

"I have every right_ not_ to tell you that." I replied back, letting one leg swing loosely over the branch as I stared down at her, a vacant smile tugging at my lips, "And another thing: I would like it if you didn't wear that shell so much."

"But I like it."

I let out an annoyed sigh at that, "And your father got the wrong idea from it."

For a moment she looked hurt by the comment, but it quickly disappeared, "I know he did. And now you can't even come to _town_ anymore—out in the open, I mean." She turned around so that she could lean her back up against the tree trunk, staring up at me like she half expected me to jump down and speak with her like I had done in the past.

"Yes but there are many ways to get into town at night," I answered, easily letting my other leg fall and dangle of the branch, "but I'm surprised you haven't told him the reason behind me giving you that." 'that' meaning the shell.

She made a strange sound in the back of her throat before coughing slightly and, slowly, picking out the words she spoke, "It's…because…I've _tried_ to tell him. He gets too upset every time I bring you up."

"Wonder why?" I asked more to the air around me than to her.

But she responded anyway, "I'm sure you've heard the rumors." She shifted halfway around the trunk so she wouldn't be seen by any passerby, "You went back to the Main land, even after you've been so happy here. You didn't even say a word about leaving."

"That's true." I nodded my head slowly, "But I did come back. A few times. The Legacy just doesn't need someone like me on it anymore."

"But where did you go while you were on the mainland?" she asked, staring down at her feet, "That's what people want to know."

"And you don't?" she shook her head, "I'd ask why but you won't tell me, will you?"

"Well you _were_ born on the mainland," she said with a sad shrug of her shoulders, "no one can keep you away from it. Actually," she closed her eyes slowly and tilted her head back up and to the side, so she could see me, "we all were born on the mainland. There's no—no _way_ that any of us could refuse to go back."

I stayed silent in response to that, slowly shifting my weight again before leaning back up against the trunk as well.

"But there's also another thing," I barely heard her when she said this, but I looked down in her direction anyway. She was staring at the individual leaves, like she was trying to count them, "the evening you left. You got in a fight, didn't you?" I felt my stomach softly clench at that, at the way she was suddenly, purposely, counting each leaf on one particular branch like she wanted nothing more than to disappear into the greenness of that leaf. When I didn't answer her question she continued, "It was with Moses. It was…_bad_. And it ended in a way you didn't want it to, right?"

I stayed silent for a moment, before I willed my mouth to move, "He was just being an idiot, as always."

"But a _caring_ idiot." She mumbled back, "He cared enough about whatever you were talking about to actually _yell_ at you."

"True," I agreed, "The Bandit doesn't yell unless he really needs to."

"And it worked, didn't it?" she asked, "It worked so much it almost made you cry. I remember," she touched the place where her necklace was hidden, "you looked so sad that night when you asked me to keep this permanently. And—" she choked up momentarily before shaking her head roughly, "—I have."

"Yes." My voice was oddly softer now, "I thank you for it. That you didn't stay angry at me."

"How could I?" She turned to look at me, stepping away from the tree trunk, "When you're actually sincere about something, you can be pretty nice. Nice enough to almost make someone fall in love with you."

The wind seemed oddly colder as she said that, "But I can't be loved. Harriet," she made some strange noise again, "you know that."

"And I also know I agreed to keep it a secret that you've snuck into the city on more than one occasion." She tried to grin but again she looked hurt, "and I always meet up with you. Kinda romantic, don't ya think?" her language was becoming looser, like it had been when she was younger, and I knew, just like when she was younger, she was most likely going to cry soon.

"I'm thankful for that as well, I'm sure I've told you that." I softly reminded her, shifting again on the branch I was perched on, "I was thankful for the company. But nothing more."

"An' every time you say that it _still_ hurts." She retorted her voice suddenly thick with emotion, "You can tell me 'nothing more', but it can't be just that."

"It's going to _have_ to be." I wanted to be cold, and harsh, like I had been last time we brought this topic up. It sent her home crying but it was needed. But oddly enough I couldn't give it, "Whatever emotion you're feeling, it's nothing more than a petty crush."

"Because you won't ever be interested in me. I know, I know," She stepped a little farther away from the tree, "you're really horrible, y'know that, right?" She was going to ramble now and then run as she had done before, and I knew I would let her, "But all the same I _don't_ think it's just a crush. I'm sixteen."

"And I'm twenty three." I reminded her, "seven years older than you are. I'd like to think I know what I'm talking about."

"And I'd like to think your heart's so stunted that you _don't_." I saw the tears well up in her eyes, but unlike before, she didn't turn away so I couldn't see them. She let them fall easily with me staring right at her, "You _are_ an evil little bastard." I was surprised by the rough language she used, but I didn't stop her ranting, "But-but-but…! Can't you say _something_ other than _no_, for once?" And she went right back to pleading.

"Not unless you change your act a bit." I found myself saying, "I prefer people who _aren't_ weak, who know how to stand up to almost anything with a straight face." I found myself closing my eyes, and I could feel my heart rate increase, "_Yes_ you're the closest I've found to that. But there isn't anything there, and there won't ever be."

"Not won't." her reply was so quick I almost didn't catch it, "There _can't_ be any emotion there, because you won't let it _in_, you—you _bastard_." Then, in a rather dignified way that surprised me once again, she turned back to the road and slowly walked away, no more tears falling, back straight, head held high.

And for whatever reason I felt like I wanted to run after her.

**:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:**

(Moses' POV)

I felt like an idiot. Nah, even _more_ stupid than I ever felt before. Ever. An' that was talkin' about a almost twenty five year life span. Pretty long in terms of 'stupid moments'. But as I stood in front of Will, watchin' him recite some passage out of a medical text book of ancient diseases I _really_ felt my IQ drop. I didn't get it at all.

Csaba, on the other hand, was noddin' along like he got every word, when I knew he didn't. He even asked questions, "So you're saying it takes how many days to spread?" And "I don't think that's the one. Are there any other similar diseases?"

After a while I felt completely left out. And that ain't fun in any way, shape, or form. I found myself glaring at all the books that lined the walls, books that I hadn't even _noticed_ before, but that were there, starin' at me, tellin' me, like a _certain someone_, that I really was stupid.

An' I hated it. Hated that I actually noticed it.

"Moses?" I snapped my attention back to Csaba, who was giving me this odd half-worried half-knowing look, "You feelin' okay, Boss?"

I tried my best to smile as I scratched the back of my head, "Jus' a little out of it." I quickly made up an excuse, "It's been a while since I've been 'ere an'…it's just all…"

"Nostalgic." The look Will gave me was nothing under sympathetic, "I understand." I'm sure he did, with livin' here for as long as he had, "Why don't we continue this when Coolidge and the others get here?"

I felt myself smile again, "They're really comin'? That's…nice of 'em. I'm sure they're busy." Will gave me the weirdest look as I said that, and it didn't fade, not even when he turned around and brought out a bottle of some scotch brandy I'm sure he kept hidden for those long frustratin' nights that he stayed up with new research.

"Here. I'll get some glasses; we might as well use it up." He said and for the first time I noticed how damn _tired_ he sounded, like 'e really was an' old man. Even though 'e was—what?—not even forty yet. He quickly and quietly walked into the kitchen, taking down some glasses from the tallest cabinet before setting them down with soft clinks against the hard countertop. He uncorked the bottle and began pouring some, distributing it equally between the three glass mugs. Then, carefully, he walked back to us, handing me, then Csaba our respective glasses before taking a sip of his own. Csaba and I followed suit and I felt the familiar burn of alcohol, along with the numbing warmness, as it slid down the back of my throat.

"I suppose we could wait. A while, anyway." I found myself saying as I walked over to one of the two couches and sat down, "How's everythin' been goin' here? I heard some stuff while travelin' around. Surprisin' how many people're here now."

"Yes." Csaba quickly agreed with me, walking to stand next to the couch like he was tryin' to be the barrier against something, "It used to be so vacant here, but now there are the beginnings of some villages popping up here and there. Mostly near the coast."

Will smiled in an old sort of way, takin' another sip of his brandy before sitting down on the couch across from me, "Yes, that's true." He closed his eyes for a moment, rubbing his forehead with his free hand, "Werites Beacon has been expanding as well. Before we know it the Port could be part of this city."

"That ain't such a bad thing though." I butted in, "It'd make stuff easier, tha's for sure."

Will let out a tired laugh, taking yet another sip of the brandy before clinking it loudly down on the coffee table between us, "Yes it would." He agreed, but somethin' told me 'e had more to say, "But I can think of a few minuses for the expansion."

"The Ferines." Csaba whispered, shaking his head from side to side, "They originally built this…this _ship_, didn't they?" He asked, his voice hesitant, "They wouldn't like the number of…of _us_…populating it."

"But ain't that why Shirl' and Senel are 'ere?" I asked, exchanging looks with both of them, "Or is it not goin' well?"

For a moment Will hesitated, "Not as well as we would hope." He reached for his glass again but stopped halfway there, tugging his hand back, "But well enough to see improvement. There might even be some inter-breeding soon." I could _see_ the smile on 'is lips, like 'e knew _exactly_ who it'd be that'd get hitched, an' even someone as stupid as me'd probably get it.

"I'm assuming their _relationship_," Csaba emphasized the word, "is going well then?"

"Yes." The reply was short, but it held anythin' I needed to know, "We won't know for sure until they actually _get_ here." He reached for the glass again, and took a sip. But before he could put it down again we heard a sound that nearly made him choke.

The front door, banged open as someone loudly barged in, "Until _who_ gets here?" the voice was female, a _very _familiar female. The smell was too. An' when I fully looked at the girl—_woman_—standin' in the doorway I couldn't _not_ know who it was.

Norma, her hair a little longer than when I last saw her, wearin' a loose white blouse—showin' off her chest, as usual—and a short pale yellow miniskirt with brown lace up hikin' boots that looked like she'd just climbed outta a cave somewhere. She dropped her bag on the floor by her feet with a loud clunk before just _staring_. She opened her mouth to say something, but then slowly shut it again.

"Norma." Will greeted her first, "Come in. Sit down." He stood up but didn't make a move to walk forward.

"You drink?" Was the first words that came outta her mouth. Followed by, "What the _heck_? Old man—you've been collecting…?!" she made her way across the room to the kitchen, picking up the still half-full bottle of brandy, sniffing it's contents before letting out a loud squeal, "Last time I was here you didn't have anything good! You liar!"

Will made a face before shaking his head, "If I told you I had it you would've drank it all in one sitting."

"Nuh-uh!" Bubbles held the bottle up to the light, "I'll just have _one_ glass this time!" Not even waiting for an okay she skipped over to tha cabinet Will had gotten the glasses from and pulled one down, filling it halfway full before taking a large swig of it, "Yum!" She grinned loosely before walking back over to the counter closest to us and leaning across it, "Good choice, Teach!" she made a thumbs up motion before straightening up slightly and asking, "So Red an' Green 're here? Nice ta see ya! It shouldn't be a while before White, Blue, and Black're here."

"Huh? What're ya spoutin' now, Bubbles?" I found myself laughing out, "'less ya mean Senel, Shirl', and Chloe?" I guessed, shifting a bit in my seat so I could turn more to face her.

She picked up her glass and took another loud sip before setting it down with a loud clink, "Ding! You got it _right_! Wowie! Looks like Red grew a brain while 'e was away! Purple'd be so surprised!"

I didn't even _have_ to guess who she meant. The black hair. Purple Eyes. Filled my head instantly. And I felt like _crap_.

**:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:**

(Csaba's POV)

She went and said that boys name. She _had_ to go and say that…that…that _bastard's_ name. Or not his name. But it _was_ his name. Or his 'theme color'. And she doesn't even _notice_ it. She just sits there and _drinks_.

"Moses." I whisper out, but he ignores me. Instead, staring down into the amber liquid in his glass, his expression sad, "_Moses_." I try again, placing my hand slowly on his shoulder, only to have him brush it off.

"Norma." Will's voice surprises me. There's no warmth in it, then again I highly doubted he was a warm person to begin with, in a situation like this, and he's staring at her with a look that I _hope_ has her noticing her mistake.

She takes another sip, "Wha's that, Teach?" She asks, and I want to slap her. But I won't. She's a friend of Moses's. Even though she mentioned _that man's_ name. Or color. It means she must still be speaking with him. How the _hell_ can she speak with a boy like that?

"You know not to mention…_him_." It was like Will knew that Moses had tuned everything out, but again it was obvious. Boss wasn't discreet when he was _really_ thinkin'. An' now he was really thinkin'. His hand had gone up to his eye patch again, like he wanted to take it off. Like his wound was hurtin' him.

I wanted to make his wound feel better. At least the exterior one, anyway. The internal one was already open and bleeding. It'd take more than a tender touch, and a few stitches, to heal. It hurt. Seeing him like that. So sad. So—

"But why_ not_?" Norma asked, raising her voice, "For all you know it was probably a huge misunderstanding!" I sent a glare in her direction and she glared right back, "Or what? You don't _believe_ me?" she hissed out, and I knew she didn't have that much alcohol tolerance, "How can you not believe me when you weren't even _there_?"

"Because I _was_ there. We all heard him." Will stated, his voice icy, "And yet you—you and _Harriet even_—still stand by him. I'd ask why but I really don't want to know."

"Oh you probably do." She took another long gulp from her glass—it was empty now—before speaking again, "But you're jus' too afraid of bein' _wrooong_."

"_Norma_." Will started again, taking a step towards her, she didn't even try to move, I doubted she even knew she was in danger, "Do not mention him _again_ while you're in this house."

"Oooh, playing mister scary adult, now aren't we?" she mocked, straightening up even more before crossing her arms over her chest, "Don't think it'll work on me. So sorry for tryin' to defend an ex-friend, that really shouldn't _have_ that status in the first place."

"He does with me, and that's the way it will _stay_." Will's voice cracked slightly, and I could tell he was restraining himself from hitting her; he didn't seem to have that much alcohol tolerance either, but it wouldn't look good. She could play girlie-girl when she wanted to. She had done it with Moses. She could easily do it with him.

"An' he _doesn't_ with me. So I can talk about 'im all I _want to_. You stuck up prick." I felt my own hand ball into a fist at her loose words, "It's just you anyway. For all you know everyone could've already forgiven him. Right, Red?" She had the nerve to bring Moses into this.

When he didn't respond I spoke for him, "I don't think you have the _right_ to guess where people stand on this." I shifted a little more so that I was standing practically right in front of him, "and since you don't I'd _suggest_ not bringing people into this argument who would rather stay _out_ of it."

"But don't we all do that sometimes?" It shocked me by how quickly she answered that. It shocked me even more when she took a step towards Will, "You're doin' it now too." She walked past Will and towards us, "But what's _not_ right. What's _not_ right is to not give a person a chance to _talk_." She didn't move anywhere near us, instead she sidestepped over to the door to pick up her bag. Smiling a goofy sort of smile I would often see on Moses' own face, she did a mock salute before saying, "I just wanted to stop by. I'll get myself a room an' then come back. Might even run into a few people along the way!"

Then just like that she was gone.

**:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:**

(Norma's POV)

I barely restrained the urge to slam the front door as I closed it behind me, stepping out onto the walkway that led out to the main road. I walked a few steps forward before saying, loudly, "He's got _some_ nerve!" I took another step forward, and another, until I was at the gate.

Then something caught my eye, sitting in the tree _right_ in front of me. I knew my traps pretty well, I could spot one from a mile away—or at least how far I could _see_—but this was a different sort of trap. A sad one that reminded me of a person. The tree branches swayed, but the bottom one seemed heavier than the rest.

'_Yup it's a person.'_ I pushed the short gate open, checking the street before crossing over to it. I banged on the tree trunk once before looking up. Sure enough, sitting there was Mister Purple. "Didn't expect to see _you_ so soon." I commented, grinning up at him, "Thought you'd at _least_ try to hide better."

"I _was_ hidden." He replied back, his voice monotone and emptier than usual. He didn't even sound irritated at me finding him.

'_Something's wrong.'_ My conscience told me, and I had every right to listen to it, "What's up with _you_?" I questioned, moving to the side a little so I could see him better. He was slouching slightly, leaning up against the tree with this _dead_ look on his face, "Y'look like you might've done something stupid again. Or are very, _very_ bored." I would've gone with the second choice if he had chosen to ignore me.

But he didn't. Instead he looked down at me, his wine-colored eyes flashing with soft emotion that usually wasn't there, "It's," he paused for a moment, "Harriet."

"She knew you were here?" That surprised me, "How'd she know?"

"The shell." He was answering in such short sentences that I _knew _the meeting didn't go well.

I thought over my next words carefully, knowing full well I could either have a knife pointed at my neck, or he could go and disappear on me, "Okay then," I titled my head slightly to the side as I spoke, watching the road for people, "What'd you do?"

He shifted a bit and for a second I thought he'd run, but instead he answered in the same dull tone, "Why must you blame _me_? Can't anything ever be _her_ fault?"

"Fine then, what did _she_ do?" I easily complied, alternating from watching the road, to watching him.

"She still thinks she—" his voice caught on the next word, but he quickly cleared his throat and continued, "—_likes_ me. _That way_."

"Ah." I nodded my head in understanding, "And what did _you_ say?"

"…What do you think?" He was the one being hesitant now, and I knew he was doing it just to stop me from probably yelling at him. Which I most likely would have.

"You said no."

"Not the word."

"Then some other flowery version of it?"

He stayed silent, and for a few seconds I was silent as well, giving him some breathing room and me some time to think over my next words. That didn't go over too well—it never did—so I stopped. Stopped and said loudly, "You're an idiot. She really, really…_likes_…you. I thought you said you didn't care when Teach said he banned you from the village? Since, y'know, you sneak in all the time."

"Because," he shifted once more on the branch he sat on, "I want _Harriet_ to care. He's her father, and her only real family left besides her grandparents—who are all the way on the mainland and _not_ that friendly."

"I can guess as much if they exiled Teach for Ten years," I said with a roll of my eyes, "but you can't get someone to _care _about their family members unless _you_ either care about what they think, or you're just really, really convincing. Or convincing about saying you care about her family even though you don't."

He shifted again, and this time he actually jumped down. It surprised me a bit that he was now my height—5'3—but it surprised me more about what exactly he was _wearing_, "I suppose I could do that." He responded to my earlier statement, fiddling with one of the belt clasps that were located on his sleeve. He tugged at his shirt—black, like his glove, but almost seeming purple at the same time—for a moment, pulling it down to where it was supposed to stop, a little under his waist, "And I would like it if you'd stop _staring_ at me."

"Your hair's longer." I found myself pointing out the obvious, "And what's with all the black? You aren't finally going emo on me are ya?"

"It's a good color to hide in," He defended, "And _yes_ my hair's gotten longer. I told you before I was growing it out." Almost self consciously he fiddled with the small bun that held some of said hair up, causing more strands to fall loose from the gold ponytail holder.

"Well it looks good on ya!" I didn't know_ why_ I was saying such obvious things, things even _he'd_ notice, but I continued talking, "Though I have to wonder…if you had it down…"

"Don't." He quickly and dully cut me off, "I'm not how I used to be."

"But you'd still pass off as a really pretty guy." I argued, glaring half-heartedly at him. Right about now he'd probably say something snarky and rude back—like make fun of my chest size or something—but the fact that he _didn't_, and didn't seem to even _care_ that much, caught my attention. He must have really screwed up, "What did you say?"

He didn't even ask how the heck I knew, then again he probably already knew how a women's intuition worked. Regardless, I had to wait a while for any sort of answer, "The same thing I always did. Except," He hesitated and I leaned forward, urging—or more like _forcing_—him to continue, "I was gentler. And she still didn't take it well."

"And she said the same thing she always says?" I questioned, straightening up and tilting my head slightly to the side, "Which from what _you _said, that she said, that she agreed with after hearing what you said, is something along the lines of more than just a crush. Am I right?"

He stared at me for a moment before nodding his head in approval.

"Well, JJ," I used the old nickname for him I hadn't used in such a long time, "looks like you dug yourself into a _preeeetty_ deep pit. Good luck trying to get out."

"It has an opening doesn't it?" He suddenly asked, looking past me at nothing in particular.

"Well yeah," I tried to resist the urge to glance over my shoulder at what he was staring at, "doesn't it always?"

"Then it's much easier to get out of then a pit that's already been filled in."

"Now you lost me," I felt myself say that even though somewhere underneath it all I more than understood what he meant, "Don't ya fill in the pit _after_ you get out?"

The black haired black-mailer let out a loud sigh, "Not unless it's filled in with you in it."

"And that _still_ doesn't make any sense," and I could outright call myself a liar now, well, not a complete one, but I knew what he was talking about, "how can someone fill in a pit you dug yourself into?"

"When you follow in someone's footsteps you can wind up in the same pit as them." The truthfulness in those words shocked me, but didn't even come _close_ to preparing me for what he said next, "You did that too, didn't you? Following in your teacher's footsteps? Sven's? You fell in with him, and you thought you dug yourself out, only to realize you didn't?"

I flinched at the words. They hit home a _lot_ harder than I expected them to, "Y'know, you just _aren't_ nice, are ya?" I tried to laugh but it came out broken and not as pretty as I would've liked, "No wonder Harriet's mad at you. You always turn her down in the _meanest _way possible."

"Mean? I told you I was gentle this time." But there wasn't any emotion behind the voice to prove his point. He seemed to realize this and quickly—and _again_ to prove just what a heartless bastard he could be—stated, "Everyone has their faults."

Well. Wasn't expecting him to say _that_. I tried desperately to push off any memories that _that_ dredged up from the deep muck covered lagoon, and I _almost_ succeeded, "You don't need to tell me something like that when you don't follow through with it to _begin _with. Hypocrite."

"Maybe I don't, but," he paused, closing his eyes before opening them slowly and _finally_ meeting my gaze, "you're going to have to realize it sooner or later that you're the one who's spitting out toads, not the one who's spitting out diamonds."

I felt my knees grow weak at that, "So you're saying I'm a greedy manipulative bitch that doesn't know she has less going for her than the lowest person on earth?" I wanted to sound angry, but the fact that he said that—said it with such a lack of empathy, sympathy, or any emotion _at all_—like it was just some damn observation—drained all that away in an instant, "Maybe I am. But—"

'_But what?' _

I couldn't finish the sentence. Not if I wanted to prove I _wasn't_ like that—not entirely. I mean, I _hoped_ I wasn't the lowest scum of the earth. Sure money was great. I had a ton of it, and maybe I didn't get _all_ of it in the nicest way possible. There were a few scams here and there. Maybe a few thefts involved. But in the greater scheme of things it wasn't all _that_ bad. There was much worse. Much, _much_ worse. I knew that just from staring at the guy right in front of me. Worst of all, he was all too aware of that fact. And he could _still_ say something like that.

'_Right to my damn face too.' _

"You probably should sit if you think you're going to faint." He gently—or what I assumed was gently, since there really _was_ no way to put him and gentle in the same sentence—chided, taking a step closer to me before gripping my hand in his own. He led me to the side of the tree that couldn't be seen by the main road—not that it mattered too much, it was almost night time anyway—before allowing me to slide down against the rough bark. I felt a few pieces of it jabbing me in the back, but nonetheless I was glad to be sitting and not standing.

'_I doubt he'd catch me if I fell.' _The thought didn't entirely surprise me, since the only one he ever _caught_ before—for _anything_—was Harriet, _'And I'm obviously not her.' _

I let out a slow sigh before looking up at him, "Woo, felt dizzy there for a sec," I tried to laugh and he was kind enough not to tell me how weird it sounded, "think I'll be okay if I sit a while. How 'bout you? You look a little pale. Or is that just the lighting?"

He blinked in mild surprise before shaking his head, "I'm…no. I'll be fine standing. I'd rather stand and be on guard, then be caught off guard sitting."

"I think if Teach saw ya you wouldn't be safe either way." I managed to smile a little more naturally as I said that, and actually, it made me feel better. Put him in a supposedly awkward situation, maybe. But I doubted he'd show it anyway.

And he didn't, "I know. But as I told Harriet, he isn't the only one I'm hiding from tonight."

"Red then." He tensed immediately, "You saw him come into town right? You _really_ don't want him to see you, right? But you still wanna look over him, right?" Three questions—rhetorical, but wanting answers all the same—all in a row.

They rattled him, but only slightly, "Yes I _did_ see him come into town. He waited much longer than I thought he would, though. Can't entirely blame him though," his eyes focused on the part of Teach's house that could be seen, "It takes an incredibly stubborn idiot to ask for help at the last minute. He didn't even wait this long when Giet turned wild." It mildly surprised me at the bitterness in his voice, I half expected him to be _worried_, not _bitter_.

"True, but it takes an insensitive one not to do anything at all." His eyes jerked back to mine and it took a lot more willpower than I thought to keep eye contact with him, "and he _did_ do something. As much as he could—but this disease wasn't one he—or, well, _anyone's_—seen before, JJ. He may be an idiot but you have to give him brownie points for trying."

"But I _can't_. It's a disease no one has ever heard about until now—that's _why_ he shouldn't've waited. You can't _wait_ for something like this. What if—" he seemed to realize his voice was rising and slowly lowered it back down to a hiss, "—what if _he_ was the disease's next target? Then where would they be?"

I stared at him a moment in shock. It was worry. Showing through the bitterness, and the plain _emotionless_ tone of his voice was _worry_. One more human emotion than I had expected. I could feel a smile forming it's way on my lips, and soon the words came, slowly, but filled with so much knowing that he couldn't say it wasn't true, "Are you worried?"

**:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:**

(Jay's POV)

I stood there, staring down at her for a moment after she asked that. I opened my mouth to retort—to say _no_—only to find that I _couldn't_ say no. Her smile grew that much wider at my silent realization, saying the words I knew she was going to say, "I'm right."

"Maybe." I found myself halfway agreeing with her, "And if you are?"

"JJ…" she rolled her eyes at me and attempted to stand up with the help of tree trunk behind her, "there's no rule book that says you can't care _that _much about a person." I gave her a sort of deadpan look than made her quickly add on, "I mean—didn't you _say_ after everything was over seven years ago that you'd learn to be human again? As human as you could be?"

"Yes," I slowly replied, suddenly unable to look at her, "I _did_. And I _am_ as human as I can get."

"It looks to me like you haven't changed a bit." Her eyes narrowed, "actually, you _might_ have, but you just changed back to the way you used to be."

"How so?" I tightened my hand on reflex into a fist, "I…don't recall any dramatic changes over the past few years."

"I don't either," she crossed her arms over her chest, "but then again you _were_ on the mainland almost constantly. It wouldn't surprise me if you dipped back down into the very stuff you were trying to _get away _from."

I tensed at those words, and turned my head slightly to the side, "Why would I do that?"

"Because you spent the first, what? Almost thirteen? Maybe a little more? Years of your life living like that. It's bound to catch up and affect you _sometime_."

I clenched my fist even tighter, "Well I'm _not_."

"Oh really?"

"Are you _trying_ to blackmail me? And if so, what for?" my tone was cold, and much harsher than it probably needed to be. But that didn't matter. What mattered was if she got the point or not. And she did.

She quickly tightened her grip around herself, leaning slightly back against the trunk before looking up at the leaves overhead, "Sorry." It wasn't much of an apology but I heard the sincerity in her voice, "It's…that's not really my place to make a judgment call, is it?" she let out a laugh with absolutely no humor in it whatsoever, "But I guess yeah, I want something from you. Or rather, your cooperation."

"Depends on what it is. I can't stay here for long." I reminded her, even though I knew she was already well aware of that fact.

"I know, but we can work around that, can't we?" she looked back at me, seeming relieved that I complied easily enough, "But we can work the fine little details out _later_." Leave it to her to consider being banished from the only major city on the whole continent 'small'.

"Fine then." I agreed again, "What is it that you need help with?"

"Not need help," she shook her head slowly and I felt my stomach begin to clench, "you just need to aid me with it. Kinda…it doesn't have anything to do with me. Not directly, at least." I stared at her for a moment to tell her to _hurry up_, and she thankfully got the message, "I want _you_ to help me out with doing something for someone else."

"_Yes_ I got that already, what _is it_?" She stiffened a bit at my tone, tightening her arms a bit more before shaking her head.

"It's easy. I want you to help Moses. I want _you_ to help look up stuff on this disease. They don't expect you to help, and I don't know what good it'll do, but it'll be something at least."

All I could do was stare at her in disbelief. My mouth opened to say something, then it quickly closed again. The tight feeling in my stomach seemed to grow just a little more, before a familiar sensation tugged at the side of my mind.

Someone was coming. Not just someone. Senel. Maybe Chloe and Shirley as well.

"I should leave." My voice was soft and the words quick, making her almost _immediately_ turn her head towards the entrance to the city. She turned back to me with a questioning look and I responded, "Senel, Shirley, and Chloe. They're here. Go greet them. And get the hotel room you already have."

Her mouth twitched in an upward smile before stepping away from the tree. The last I saw of her was her retreating back as I slowly, stealthily, disappeared into the growing shadows, weaving my way between them, over the rooftops, silently, nearly motionless, but at the same time a blur.

I needed to think. I did all my thinking by the ocean.

**:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:**

(Chloe's POV)

I tried hard not to cringe as my hair once again blew in my face. I swiped it to the side for about the _fifth_ time before asking myself silently, _'Why did I say I wanted to grow my hair out again?' _I quickly pushed that thought aside, though, when I saw two familiar faces, walking along at a brisk pace, a little ways down the path ahead.

I recognized the white haired man almost immediately, and my heart skipped a beat. I noticed the blonde haired woman gripping onto his arm, and my heart jerked in sadness, _'I shouldn't be sad, though.' _I tried my best to convince myself, _'They belong together.' _But I knew it was hopeless, _'He was supposed to be mine.' _

I shoved that thought away as I began to quicken my pace. If I was lucky I'd catch up to them before they reached Werites Beacon. Or maybe that wouldn't be so lucky, _'But I haven't seen either of them in at least a year.' _

I didn't really cross my mind how awkward it would be until another powerful gust sent my hair band—the only thing keeping the majority of my hair from falling in my face—went flying. I made some sort of noise that I didn't recognize, trying hard to get my hair _out_ of my face…

Only to trip over a stray rock, at an _extremely_ odd angle. I felt something pop and yelped out in pain as I caught myself, my hands hitting more sharp rocks and jagged pieces of shell that had been carried here by the rain.

"Are you okay?!" I easily recognized Senel's voice, and I knew then that they had heard me. I was practically right behind them—that _had_ to be the case.

I briefly looked up only to wish I hadn't. Shirley had picked up my headband and was in the process of walking back over to me, while Senel had extended his hand to help me up. He stopped mid motion and whispered, only loud enough for me to hear, "Chloe?"

I tried hard to squash the feeling in my chest before it got out of hand, "Coolidge." My voice didn't come out as strong as I wanted it to, but then I couldn't really count on my voice in the times when I really wanted to use it.

"You…grew your hair out?" he was asking a stupid question. One he could answer himself just from looking at me.

But I nodded my head dumbly and answered him anyway, "Yes. I…wanted a change." I stood up easily, silently thankful that I could put my full weight on both feet without either of them hurting too terribly, "but it's annoying to take care of." I smiled over at Shirley, who I now noticed had her hair down to her waist, "I don't see how you can take care of it when it's that long."

She seemed to realize a second too late that I was talking to her, and flushed at the realization, "Oh, um, b-because I'm…used to it." She tried to smile, but it didn't come out as happy as I was sure she was hoping for it to be. She held out the hand that held my headband and quickly said, "The wind's strong today, isn't it?"

"It's getting closer to summertime," Senel murmured, staring up at the clouds, "we're getting into warmer water, the Legacy moves faster when it's warm."

Shirley let out a soft giggle at that, "Yes, I…almost forgot."

"I did too." I nodded my head just for the sake of it, taking my headband when Shirley finally moved close enough and quickly sliding it back on, "It's been almost two years since I set foot on this Ship. It brings back memories." _'But not all of them good.' _I wanted to add, but knew that, silently, they were both thinking the same thing.

Senel snapped out of it first and, naturally, spoke up, "Let's hurry to Werites Beacon—Will's probably waiting for us."

"Ah, yes," Shirley quickly agreed, stepping closer to Senel after casting a nervous glance at me, "It's nice that we ran into you before hand."

"Well I didn't want to be the last one here. I don't think Raynard would want to wait any longer than necessary," it amazed me by how confident and unbothered—by _this_, by them, by even the _wind_—I sounded, but regardless of the fact that my voice was contradicting my inner-feelings it seemed to help both of them relax, "we should save the talking for when we get there."

Both nodded their heads in agreement before we set off back down the road. After a few minutes of walking Shirley asked, "Do you think Norma will be there?"

"Most likely," Senel answered immediately, turning his head to look at her. I could see the easy smile on his face and, oddly, it didn't bug me as much as I thought it would.

"It wouldn't surprise me," I nodded my head in agreement, "She still hasn't seemed to lose her fascination with this place yet—and since Werites Beacon is the only true city here, it makes sense."

"I wonder what she's been up to?" That was an open air question, for either of us to answer, but neither of us really _could_.

"Most likely treasure hunting." Senel answered

"Or trying to swindle some money out of someone." I continued on

Shirley let out a short, nervous laugh at that, "She'll never get tired of it will she?"

"Not even when she gets thrown in jail." I found myself laughing along with her at Senel's words.

"She's probably seen Raynard's basement a few times over the past few years," I said with a shake of my head, "He must get tired of seeing her so much."

"Maybe," Shirley slowed down a bit and I realized just how close we were to the entrance of the city, "but…I think…isn't that her?" I narrowed my eyes and stared in the direction she was pointing at.

And sure enough, there was Norma, but instead of being the happy bubbly person I expected to see—that I had seen last time I was here, who glomped each one of us in an awkwardly familiar display of affection—she just stood there, leaning against the side of the large gateway that led into the city.

Once we neared her she raised a hand in a mock salute, a goofy, but at the same time—What was it? Irritated? Upset?—It looked like she had just gotten into an argument with someone and had won, but had either forgotten something, or was forced to do something she didn't want to do. Then again, she wasn't always the easiest person to read.

But even Senel seemed to realize something wasn't quite right. He had slowed his walking down even more so that I was practically walking right beside him, I could see the confusion riddled on his face. He quickly hid it away though, when Norma met us halfway across the drawbridge.

**:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:**

(Norma's POV)

I put on my best smile as I walked up to them, quickly pulling Shirley into a tight hug before quickly pulling away, placing both hands on either of her shoulders, "Wow Shirl, you haven't changed much," I grinned down at her and she flushed lightly, looking away.

"Norma," I turned my head to face Senel, and for a second I thought he was actually going to ask me to step away from Shirley. But he didn't. Instead he tried to smile, even though he looked a little too stiff to do it naturally, and said, "It's good to see you again."

I released Shirley's shoulders before turning fully to face him, "Yup! Good ta see you too Senny!" I stepped closer and hugged him quickly before pulling away, "And Chloe!" I turned to face the now-long-haired knight, "You look great with long hair!"

She flushed lightly at the compliment, or maybe it was Senny staring at her a little longer after I said that, but greeted me anyway, "Th-Thank you, Norma. You seem to be doing well. I assume you've been keeping busy…?"

I don't know what facial expression I wore right after she said that, but immediately she looked worried, "Oh, yup! I still have a place at the Inn—I think the Inn-keeper just got fed up with me begging him for a room. An' of course I've been treasure huntin'." Senel opened his mouth to ask something but I quickly cut him off, "And_ no_ I'm not here just because I wound up in Will's basement for swindling a huge amount of cash of a local." Shirley looked relieved, "I learned the best people to mooch off of are the newbies. You wouldn't _believe_ how crowded the dock gets now."

They all let out a collective sigh, Chloe speaking up first, "Do you _ever_ learn?"

"Learn what?"

"That that's no way to get money?" Senel said with a sad shake of his head, "You'll end up in jail faster if you try to get money the easy way."

"Hey well, at least I don't steal it like some people do!" I found myself whining back.

"But isn't manipulating someone into buying something that's not as expensive as you say sorta the same thing?" Shirley asked, "I mean—"

"But that's not stealing!"

"Actually, yes it is." Chloe corrected me, fiddling with a strand of her hair, "You get sent to jail for it back on the mainland. I recently had to stand in for a case like that."

"Well this isn't the _main land_ is it?" I waved my arms frantically to the side, making them all sigh in unison once more, "And what's with the _sigh_?! I'm an adult now, perfectly capable of…"

I couldn't finish that sentence. Not truthfully anyway. And as Jay said, I wanted to be the one spitting out diamonds, not frogs. The first step was probably not lying…

'_Well maybe the frogs are cute?' _

"Norma?" I blinked and stared back at the concerned face of Shirley, "Are you okay?"

"Huh? Wha? Course I am!" I laughed, hands on hips, "What makes you ask that?"

"You stopped talking." Both Senel and Chloe stated at the _exact_ same time.

"Well I just figured you'd heard my rant already," I shrugged my shoulders and laughed again, "and Teach's kinda mad at me...so if I bring you guys as a peace offering he'll probably give me the 'okay' again!"

This seemed to surprise and worry them, "What did you say?" I heard the gentleness in Shirley's voice, and honestly she'd probably take the information better than the other two here. But Senny, and C _were_ here, so I _couldn't _tell her.

"Tell ya later, m'kay?" She seemed surprised that I even answered her, "Now let's _go, go, goooo!" _

I heard them chuckle as I turned around and began marching off towards Will's house. It was good I was getting them to laugh. They probably wouldn't be laughing if I wasn't here. And not laughing, and entering a house reeked with sadness was _never_ a good thing in my book.

But making people happy was always a _lot_ harder than it looked.

**:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:**

(Will's POV)

"You're back?" I asked in dull surprise as Norma once more banged open the front door of my house. She seemed happier now, which was either a good thing, or a very, very _bad_ thing. I voted for good when saw Shirley, Senel, and Chloe—Chloe with the long hair that I had only seen in pictures of her childhood—walk in behind her, "And you're all here?"

"Everyone that's gonna make themselves known, anyway," I didn't like the way she phrased that, but I passed it off as she walked over to the couch and plopped down next to me, "Did ya find anything interesting while I was gone?"

"Ya stormed at only a few minutes ago, Bubbles." Moses quickly reminded her, his face still slightly paler than it had been.

'_Then again, he's lived with seeing some of his own men die. That can't be easy on anyone.' _I let out a silent sigh at that thought before speaking up again, "He's right. But now that we're all here," I motioned for all three of them to come forward, "we can talk."

I saw Moses tense at this but politely ignored it as everyone came closer. Shirley and Senel, obviously, sat together, and Chloe, to my surprise, didn't sit at all. She just walked over to the couch Norma and I were sitting on and leaned against the armrest in a similar fashion to Csaba, "Sandor," She addressed him first, "can you please tell us what's been going on for the past few months? I know I especially need to be…_caught up_ since I haven't been here at all in over a year." She sounded noticeably apologetic, but at the same time like she knew what he was feeling, and, in a sense, she did. After all, both her parents had been murdered right in front of her eyes—and murder on it's own could be just as horrifying as an incurable illness—_'If it can't already be deemed as one'_—but I shoved that thought away.

"Well…it all started a few months ago," Moses closed his one good eye and bowed his head, "Didn't think nothin' was wrong, the first few people got better an' they never got sick again—Csaba here's one of 'em." He motioned to the green haired man who still hadn't moved from his almost guard-dog-like position, "But then _other_ people got sick, the kids, an' the older-folk. Some of th' kids recovered, but some got too weak—were sick too long, an'," his hand balled up into a fist, "the same with some o' tha elders. Though most of 'em…didn't make it. Now it's attackin' the people who tried to 'elp 'em. Only a few people survive, an' they been tryin' to help _too_, but then we're 'fraid if it grows anymore they might get sick again."

I shook my head at that, "A virus of some sort. That's my best guess."

"What are the…symptoms?" Shirley asked, placing a comforting hand on Moses' knee since she was sitting right next to him, "I'm sure…it should be a bit easier for us to…_imagine_ it if you, um, _tell _us about them…?" There was so much hesitance in her voice that I knew he couldn't take it any other way than in one that could possibly be helpful.

"At first they get a real' high fever, an' every otha symptom tha's like a normal cold. Runny nose, teary eyes. But then they'd get what looks like chicken pox's. But it'd only be on their back, or their stomach, on women their arms and sometimes legs," for a moment he tried to clear his voice, but he all but failed.

Csaba quickly picked up for him though, "The chicken pox usually appear the second or third day of being sick, and then they disappear in about two days, maybe less. Their fever usually breaks after they disappear, but only for a short while—it's then that they either get better or they ultimately don't."

"And why is that?" I found myself asking even though I could probably guess.

"Fever." They both answered, but Moses continued, "It gets so high—it's impossible ta keep down. If they don't jus' die from that, then—" he looked to Csaba, "—I can't go near 'em after that, cuz that's when it gets 'real contagious. But Csaba's seen it."

Csaba's face paled lightly, "Yes, if they survive the fever, because it's taken so much body fluid to cool them down their skin almost seems translucent. We have to keep them inside after, this, in a completely sterile environment. They lose body fluid so quickly in this stage that they die from dehydration, either that or they get too much water in their lungs and die that way." He looked down for a moment, closing his eyes before slowly continuing, "it's horrible to watch—their deaths aren't painless by any means—but if they _somehow_ survive this stage, then they go into the worst stage. Their fever, naturally, spikes again. They get a condition that—I'm not sure, but a doctor told us it was referred to as "Itchy blood"—a symptom you can get from a highly addictive pain medication. We aren't sure what causes this, but it's…only two or three people survive from it, and have lasting scars to prove it."

"And…how long do those two stages combined last?" Norma asked from next to me, her face slightly pale, but her voice unnervingly calm, "I can imagine it doesn't take very long—it _can't_, right? That's why you need a cure."

"You sound like you know what it is," Moses let out a cold laugh, "But Bubble's what makes ya say that?" his voice was so cold, so serious, it even startled _me_.

"Because they die so quickly." She uncrossed her arms from over her chest and leaned forward, "Right?"

"Y-Yes." Csaba surprisingly agreed with her, "The fever—happens over the course, of maybe a night. Eight long hours, and then the next stage, and the one directly after, can happen within a sixteen and twenty-four hour time-span."

"So basically one person could catch this on a Monday and not be able to live to see the following week."

"Norma!" Chloe sounded shocked at this, and honestly I had to agree with her, "How can you stay so _calm_ about this?!"

"Yes," I immediately agreed, "yes you're a healer, but that doesn't mean you see this sort of thing everyday."

"You're talkin' like you're a better healer than me, Teach," she dully responded, slowly turning her head to face me, "When you aren't. You can only heal wounds; I can actually revive a temporarily dead person. I'm proud to say that I wasn't just treasure huntin' in the most dangerous places on this ship _just for fun_."

"But ya ain't seen nothin' like this." Moses whispered out, his one good eye open and boring into her own, "Ya can't say that yer fancy spell's'll help when ya ain't even _seen _it yet."

"True," she tilted her head slightly to the side, "But I'm more than willing to help. Isn't that why we're here?"

**:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:**

(Moses' POV)

For a moment I stared at the brunette in front of me in shock. She had this confident air around her that said that she _knew_ what the hell she was doing. Even if we goddammit didn't believe her. An' it made me _want_ to believe her. For all the stupid idiot I am, I could tell she wasn't just spoutin' words ta make ya believe without reason.

Will noticed it too, I could see 'e was tryin' hard not ta smile, an' I was glad 'e was tryin' since it wasn't time to be _smiling_ about anythin', "It seems you've started to use your head more.

"I wonder what brought _that _on?" Senel added on, shaking his head.

"Oh you could just say I had a little bit of an eye opener recently," the smile on her lips showed that _again_ she wasn't lyin', but she didn't look like she wanted ta say anymore.

"And what was this eye opener that changed you so much?" Chloe asked, looking down at her from her spot leaning against the couch, "It might do us some good."

"Mm, no, it might not." Norma tilted her head to the other side in an almost thoughtful gesture, "But it'll just tell you how you never can _really _look at yourself…until someone truly tells you what they see." She let out a sarcastic kind of laugh before shaking her head, "Yeah I don't think it'll do me any good to have another blow to my ego thank you oh so _very _much."

That just made me want ta know even more, but we didn't come 'ere to talk about that. I managed to make some sort o' noise with the back of my throat, makin' everyone turn to me in result, "But…there's one other…_step_…tha…that no one's lived through." I felt like I was th' one who had ta say it, not Csaba, who had actually _seen_ it with 'is own two eyes, but _me_ as the leader of the Bandit's, "it's…they go crazy. Everythin' tha's happened—the fever, the _everythin'_—jus' adds up and affects their mind so much that they can't even tell their own relatives apart from any otha stranger." I heard Shirl' gasp from next to me, but I ignored it and continued, "Then they start not wantin' ta get better. They think everyone they used ta know's dead—an' they try ta escape." My voice was gettin' fainter an' fainter to the point I was sure they were strainin' ta here me, so I cleared my voice and continued on louder than before, "If they're too weak ta escape then they refuse ta eat. Drink. Everythin' an' then they start gettin' these…dark splotches all over 'em…it 'appens about a day ta three days afterwards—dependin' if they don't jus' die from refusin' ta take care of 'emselves—" I was getting' too choked up again, and before I could regain my senses Csaba cut me off.

"They die." He murmured, "We don't know—"

"Of course you don't." Bubbles cut him off again, "_That's_ why we're here. How many times am I gonna have to say that."

"And how many times are you going to _act_ like this is no big deal?" It surprised me that _Csaba_ was the one to say that. An' he really _did_ sound angry, "You act like it'll be _easy_ to figure out the cure! We might have to go all over the main land in order to search for it."

"Or we could just stay right here," the smirk on her face either meant she had a _great_ idea, or that she was about ta blackmail someone. An' either way it'd come with a price, "if we have a good enough information network, I mean."

"Information network?" I looked up just in time to see Harriet step in through the front door, her eyes lookin' all glassy like she'd just been cryin', "Do you mean…?"

**:End Evening: 01:**

**If I don't end this chapter somewhere, I won't end it at all. You probably won't see an update for a while (I plan to make each chapter around the length of this one, and that, obviously, can take a while) but if people like this story, and review for it enough, I **_**might **_**be able to squeeze out another update soon. So please tell me: Did you love it? Do you have CC? Any questions (won't be able to answer all of them though)? Send it in a review! **

**The beginning of the next chapter will be in Harriet's POV**

**And until that chapter**

**-Harmony283 **


	2. Evening: 02

**And here's the next chapter (after how long?). The only thing I can say is, like I said, this fic would take a while. And I've finally gotten around to re-playing Tales of Legendia (I suppose, as motivation for this). That and I'm in a really, **_**really**_** bad mood right now. Not sure why though, which isn't good o.o but since writing helps with that, and this is what I felt like writing, here it is. Enjoy!**

**And of course Thanks SO VERY MUCH to ReveredMage, LittleLinor, Dark- Phantasma, and Angelic'O'Wings for reviewing the last chapter! –hugs them-**

**:Evening:02: **

(Harriet's POV)

I walked in _right_ when she had to say that. And here I thought I could compose myself well enough that _nothing_ they could say—no questions they could ask—would faze me enough to let it slip why I had been crying. Or at least, the real reason, anyway.

Norma just grinned back at me before standing up, "Hattie!" She greeted with a way too friendly smile, "Yup we're talkin' about information dealing. Why don't you come join us? I'm sure you're learning enough about it just from being around town."

"Well," I hesitated, suddenly too aware that I was the nicest dressed one in the room besides dad, "L-Let me get…changed first. Then I'll come down." I was losing composure. Fast. I barely made it past the door leading to the stairs before one of those aftershock sobs wracked through me.

"Harriet?" And dad _noticed_. I heard him get up and I quickly headed for the stairs. I managed to get up the first flight before he opened the door, "Harriet? Are you okay?" He asked, concern filling every word.

I couldn't look at him, but I managed to nod my head, "Just…thinking."

"About what?"

"I just…visited Madame Musette's grave and…" I hesitated, thinking up something to say, "A-And…I was just remembering…_things_."

I could tell he wanted to ask _what_ things but either he knew I wouldn't answer him—which I wouldn't—or he knew he had more important things to attend to, but he simply nods his head and turns away, "Come down when you're ready."

I wanted to ask _'Ready for what?' _But it would've been pointless—he was trying to be nice—he _knew_ I had been crying, or at least really upset, right when he saw my face. So instead of responding I just continued up the stairs until I was safely in my room with the door shut, and locked.

I quickly and deftly undid the clasps at the front of my dress before untying the bow in the back and letting the dress sag loosely on my shoulders. I slipped my arms out easily, letting the dress fall down to pool around my ankles before turning to the mirror embedded drawers of my recently bought dresser. I tugged the doors open easily, before thumbing through the contents. I quickly chose a loose, plain button down shirt, with a black vest, and a pair of white tights, brown shorts, and finally, some embroidered slippers that I had gotten from Madame Musette as a present.

I changed quickly before checking myself in the mirror. The first thing I noticed was the necklace—the other half of the seashell that Jay had given me on my thirteenth birthday. My reflection touched it gently as a sad smile crossed its face, before it slowly tucked it away underneath its blouse. Once out of view I turned away, picking up my dress and folding it neatly before hanging it on the back of the chair in front of my makeup table—again recently bought, though I hardly ever used it.

Then, slowly, I made my way across the room, back to my door, but right as I was about to unlock it someone started _banging_ on it, "Hattie! Hattie! We need your help!" It was Norma, she sounded desperate. I quickly unlocked the door and she nearly fell in, "Thanks for opening—was wondering what was takin' you so…" she trailed off as she finally looked up at me. Her eyes traveled up, then down, then she let out a low whistle, "Wowie, don't _you_ look cute? A real lady can pull of anything!" I flushed at the comment but quickly shook my head, instead, helping her up.

"What did you need help with?" I asked, hoping my voice sounded normal enough.

And thankfully it did. Or else she was just being nice enough not to notice if it cracked or went to high, "Well I _don't know_ what happened between you an' _him_," I could only guess at who she meant by that, "but your dad's freakin' out again."

"You knew he was though," I felt my voice rise an octave and quickly cleared it before continuing, "If you…_want_…J-J—_him_—to help, then of course dad's going to be mad."

"But did you ever try tellin' him--?"

"About how everything's a misunderstanding?" She nodded her head, "I tried. He wouldn't listen. I…it's sort of my fault that he won't—I mean…with what happened…when he, um, what you _saw_…" I felt my cheeks grow hot even at the mentioning of something that happened almost two years ago—or was it two years ago? I couldn't even remember anymore—but she seemed to get what I meant.

"Well _yeah_ you did kinda run your mouth a bit. But anyone would after somethin' like that," she scratched the back of her head, trying her best to be sympathetic, but failing just from the fact of _her_ being, well, _Norma_, "And I'd be really loony if I said he should up an' forget about that—since I'm guessing he _can't_—but I mean—you're _his daughter_—snap 'im outta it!"

Yup, she was Norma alright. Unable to be sympathetic, but able to understand just about anything you threw at her…and _still_ able to make the weirdest mistakes, "Really—what did you _say_?"

She laughed nervously, looking everywhere but at me, "Th-That he needed to get _over_ his little… 'I hate him' thing. Except in more, ah, flower, and not-as-nice terms."

I shook my head from side to side, "You're even stupider than _Moses_."

"An' why the hell does everyone keep callin' me _stupid_?!" I blinked and looked past Norma at the tall—well, _taller _than I was used to—man standing at the top of the stairs.

"I—" I didn't know why I had called him stupid in the first place, and now I couldn't even think of a response.

Thankfully Norma noticed and had one more than ready to go, "Well you certainly aren't as bright as the average person, but then maybe that's a good thing." The angry look on Moses' face softened a little at that, in fact he almost looked _embarrassed_.

"Well at least I ain't dumb in the area's that're important," he finally said, scratching the back of his head before trying to grin at us, "like a guy I know, anyway," I had the feeling he was talking about Jay when he said that.

"True, true," Norma agreed, "But that guy's smart in some areas that none of us even tread in, so we _need_ his help—if not now, then eventually. You have to understand," she was being careful with her words—and for once it seemed she was actually doing some good by it, "_do _you understand?" She wasn't being mean, or forceful either. Just questioning. That was it.

It seemed to have the desired effect, though, because it actually made Moses _think_ before answering, "Yeah, I get it. Once we leave town we'll prob'ly run into 'im anyway. Since we'll be travelin' around a lot, most likely. A-An' it'd probably make things easier if we…_did_…sorta talk to 'im, but," his one good eye dulled for a moment, "Will 'e help? Will 'e actually _help_ us? Tha's what I'm worried about. An' if does, will we have ta pay 'im back?"

"Oh," Norma shook her head from side to side before smiling sweetly up at the red-head, "I think, y'know, him being _him _and all, he probably's already worked all the fine details out. For all we know he could be _waiting_ for us."

"We just have to calm my dad down first." I added on—not as a mean to damper the mood, but it seemed like it anyway. The looks on their faces though, were priceless. But all the while I had to wonder, faintly, if—if_ he_ really was just waiting out there for us to come and talk to him. To ask him to help us. Then I had to wonder, _'Did Norma blackmail him…?' _

I doubted I'd get my answer.

**:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:**

(Jay's POV)

I shivered as the water lapped at my bare-feet and the salty ocean air whipped at my hair and I had to vainly wonder if coming here had been worth it. The ocean was good for thinking. It calmed me. But at a time like this, I was more likely to get a _cold_ from it, than to actually get anything more useful out of it.

I sneezed as if to prove _more_ of a point that I shouldn't be here. Then I shivered again, _'Why is it so _cold_?' _I pessimistically thought, brushing my bangs out of my eyes as another cold gust of wind pushed them in my eyes, _'It's almost summer. Yes the sea can be cold, but not the _wind_.' _I shivered again before sliding off the boulder I had been sitting on. The water receded enough so that I could walk on the wet sand up to the dry part of the beach, so I didn't have to worry about getting my pants wet—that would be annoying—until I arrived at where I had kicked my shoes off, on the dirt path leading back to Werites Beacon.

I sneezed again, _'Am I coming down with something?' _I asked myself, picking up my shoes but not bothering to put them back on, _'A summer cold? I hate those_.' I let out a sigh and began to walk up the dirt path, ignoring the slight pain of walking on small pieces of rock, gravel, and other natural debris. I was halfway up the path when I sneezed again, this time hard enough that it made me stop and grimace.

I walked over to one of the nearby pools of water and looked down in it, my face was slightly pink from the cold wind, but other than that I looked as I usually did, _'But then you can never tell with a—'_

That's when I saw something, glittering in the fading sunlight, over at the other end of the small pool. I set my shoes down and slowly walked along the edge until I reached the side it was on. Then I looked down, and there, sitting on the very bottom of the small pool, was a ring. A silver ring with diamonds—or some clear crystal-like stone—embedded in it.

"Who could have left this here?" I wondered aloud as I reached down in the semi-icy water and scooped the ring out. It definitely looked expensive, like something Norma would love to sell for about double the price, "Is this something she dropped?" I highly doubted it. But then again—she _could_ be clumsy…

'_You found my ring!' _Jumped at the sound of a woman's voice—an eerily _familiar_ woman's voice that sounded like it was _right_ next to my ear. But when I turned to look, I was still alone.

"What…?" I looked back down at the ring again, watching as the fading rays of sunlight glinted off the stone in odd angles before I slipped it quickly in my pocket, "I must be imagining things," I shook my head quickly, clearing my thoughts, before standing up once more. Now was not the time to be hallucinating—_or getting sick_—or having to explain why I had chosen the Spring—when it was only accessable through the town—

'_Norma should still be distracting them.' _I let out a sigh, shivering again as another gust of wind blew in from behind me, _'I should be able to get out without them seeing me.' _

But I knew I couldn't go far. I had agreed to help, after all. Norma would hold me to it, for better or for worse. Most likely worse. And I didn't_ want_ to think of what she could come up with. Not that it bothered me, no. I could probably pull myself out of it—I had before. But it was, well, _Norma_, after all.

She could come up with the strangest things.

Strangest most awkward most—_I hate you, but I can't but I'll try to anyway—_situations that—

I let out a forceful sneeze, one that actually made my nose _hurt_, "Either someone's continually talking about me on _purpose_, or I really _am_ getting sick." I pinched my nose, blinking back the forced-on tears, before continuing again.

Even if I _did_ get sick, I'd still have to help.

'_But that Bandit would be worried.' _I knew he'd have to be. Even if he thought I was the scum-of-the-earth at this point, to be around so much sickness—to watch so many of his own men _die_—and then to see someone _sick_—of course he'd worry. He couldn't be apathetic. No. that just wasn't—

'_That would truly mean I was away for too long.' _Which I knew anyway, but not really. If that made sense. Which it didn't, but again did.

I shivered again, and quickened my pace, _'Thinking about _time_—the sun's gone down. They might not look for me if the sun's gone down.' _

Almost hypocritically, however, I heard a noise. Then a shout, then _another_ shout, followed by a loud call—and a question, and a—

"You're an _idiot_!"

And a

"Will ya _stop_ callin' me a damn _idiot_?" I paused, at that one spot, overlooking Werites Beacon. I could easily hide. Easily. I knew the voices all too well—_and they were coming this way._

Norma, for whatever reason, thought I'd be _here_.

"Norma are you sure?" I heard Will's voice, echoing, followed shortly by Chloe's

"How could he possibly be here?" She sounded tensed, "The only way he could reach the spring is if he went through the town, right?"

"That's the only way I know." Shirley murmured, "What about you, Senel?"

"Only way I know, too. Will?"

There was a pause, "Well, there could be other ways—even now, we haven't explored this ship fully. It's too dangerous to alone."

_Not exactly. Not if you're strong enough._

I knew all too well that wasn't my voice in my head. But I ignored it.

"Weeelll, then wouldn't it make sense that he'd _find_ one?" Norma. Trying to be as overly cheerful as possible—as always. As always. I felt my mouth twitch. They were close now. Unbelievably close, they'd come up the hill and I'd be in plain sight.

"Ya but I still—you _sure_ he'd be here?" before the idiot could even get a full sentence out, his lap-dog was butting him off.

"I'd think he'd be smart enough not to get so close to the place he's been _banned_ from." The venom was so noticeably there, and the almost-awkward—_should have been_ silence—was all too clear a notion to it.

But of course, Norma being Norma, couldn't _stand_ a silence like that, "Oh hush Green." What a _creative_ nickname—"haven't you ever heard that hidin' in the place you're most wanted is _always_ a good thing?"

"no." More than one person answered that.

"You'd get caught that much easier." That was Chloe.

I saw the top of Norma's head coming up the steep path, "It's reverse psychology! You'd _think_ that, yeah! But they'd be looking everywhere _else_ first! So it's only natural that he'd choose here!" Then, abruptly—almost like she _knew_ I was staring right at her—she turned…

And almost tripped, but caught herself, grinning, "In fact I-spy with my little eye someone who looks _very, very_ familiar!"

The onslaught silence was nearly deafening.

**:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:**

(Senel's POV)

I didn't like it.

I hadn't known_ what_ to expect when Norma issued the 'follow-the-leader' mentality, but I knew I wouldn't like the result of it. The result that lead us _away _from the direction I thought we'd go in. I didn't think Jay would be that obvious. _Moses_ was the obvious one—in all his candor, and bluntness and all—

But not Jay.

Unless he really changed. Which I gave him the benefit of a doubt for, many times. Almost proved himself, but not in the direction I wanted. Which is why I didn't like this to begin with.

I also didn't like the silence that stretched between us, like a rift filled with that disgusting peanut butter concoction that I _swear_ I still couldn't get out of my mouth—even a full two years later.

'_Please dear God—Nerifes—_whatever_—let Harriet be better at cooking the next time we're forced to try her food.' _

But now wasn't the time to be thinking about something trivial like that. Honestly, now wasn't the time to be thinking anything. We had agreed to follow Norma. Check. We followed her. We had agreed to this deal of information—somehow, not sure how—without even giving our consent. Check. That was done.

And now we're standing here, _him_ plain in sight. And Norma was about to get us to work with him. Without saying a word.

I highly doubted it would work.

"JJ!" She called out, a grin clear in her words, "You actually showed up!" I couldn't help but notice that he had dropped his shoes on the ground next to him, and he was barefoot. Not that that mattered, but it made me wonder just _what_ he had been doing before now. Norma didn't seem bothered by his appearance at all, and instead pranced practically _right up_ to him and—

He stepped aside swiftly—limberly, nothing like the movements I had remembered from fighting along side him—before she could latch herself onto him.

"Norma," he stated smoothly, and that was probably another shock in and of itself. He—he definitely _was_ Jay, but his voice…sounded like _Jay's_ but also like—"You knew I was here."

"Of course!" She grinned, unfazed by his obvious avoidance of her, "Cuz you're just predictable that way!"

He scowled, faintly, but for some reason it seemed only like that on the surface, "Of course you did." He looked past her for an instant and, quickly, I saw Harriet shift her eyes away. He didn't seem particularly bothered by this response, but all the same it looked like it bothered him. He wasted no time on it, though, and instead, brought his gaze to us, "Everyone. I see you brought…everyone."

So we were one now. Like we had been the 'group' before.

"Yup! But today's just a greetin'," It was almost like she was trying to reassure him, "A formal, y'know 'we're working together now', kind of deal." She attempted to cling onto him again, but again he swiftly dodged. This made her pout, "So—so—_we're all gonna work togethhhher_, okay?"

"Really." Will murmured, pushing his glasses up his nose before taking a solid step forward, "I suppose we don't have much choice in the matter, do we?" Instinctively I knew this wasn't going to turn out well. Shirley guessed it as well, and shifted, closer, to me. Chloe, too, noticed, and tensed, dropping her hand from fiddling with her hair.

"I can't say I'm too thrilled with this," Will continued, now standing directly in front of him—making us _all _see just how short he still was—shoulders stiff and rigid, "But I suppose when it comes down to it, some barriers have to be crossed." He extended a hand, almost mechanically, across the distance between them.

"When it comes down to it," Jay mimicked, "_barriers _aren't what matter. It's getting done, what needs to get done." He reached out, and clasped Will's hand easily in his own, "And I will be more than happy to lend my services."

Hadn't expected him to say _that_ though.

**:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:**

(Chloe's POV)

Ignore it. Ignore it. Ignore it.

Now wasn't the time—ignore it.

But I couldn't, not with alarms ringing on and off in my head. Something about this seemed too distant to be trusted. Too weak to even attempt to cross, too rapid to try to swim—_don't think about that either—_through. The worst part about it, though, was the weakness was _us_.

He was not who I thought he was. He had _not_ changed in the way I thought he did. But of course, I should have known that. _'After all, I only heard from spoken mouth what he had done.' _And that opinion would be biased no matter which way one cut it.

Will didn't trust.

Jay didn't, well, _care_ that Will didn't trust. But I could tell—for all the honor codes he could have broken in the past, he was upholding it now. I could tell it in his words. He would do his job. He would do it to the best of his ability, as he always had before. We could trust him at least that much.

But Will. Whatever Will had to do—whatever he _made_ any of us do—couldn't be trusted. Because he _didn't_ trust. And it was so horribly confusing and weak, and they noticed too. Shirley, nervous, seeking Senel—_Coolidge_, I hastily reminded myself—as protection, and Senel noticing this all too clearly. He'd play his role.

But not in helping Jay. He would help _Moses_—we all would, but not Jay.

I knew I should think the same. As long as the information was _there_—found, easily accessible—there wasn't a problem. Right? Wrong. I couldn't—my honor wouldn't allow it. Even if Will _told_—ordered—_told_ us to—to abandon…to not _listen_—I couldn't ignore it.

He would keep his word.

And we would end up _not_.

_Ignore it_. My mind nearly screamed. But I knew I couldn't.

An honorable man must always be helped, when doing an honorable deed. For all that Jay was probably—and I knew Norma most likely had a hand in this—forced into this role, he would fulfill it.

'_Oh who am I kidding?' _I relaxed my shoulders, slightly, _'I'll just keep repeating myself till I go crazy.' _I let out a silent sigh, closing my eyes briefly, _'For all that he's done. For all that he's done, I'll hold it to him now.' _

So I decided to speak up, "Then I suppose we'll hold each other to our word then."

He seemed mildly surprised to hear me speak, but none the less nodded his head, "Of course. Information Dealing _is_ my specialty. I find the information, and you use it in anyway you deem necessary."

"Oh, but we'll _help_ of course!" Norma butted in, "Even if you're the best in the world, there's no way in heck you'd be able to do _everything_ yourself."

"Don't undermine my capabilities please." It almost sounded like he was teasing her, though.

"Who said I _was_, JJ?" she whapped him hard on the shoulder, but he didn't seem to even flinch, "We're workin' together for the time bein' so it makes sense that we'd help, right?" for whatever reason, she was directing that at _me_.

Like she got it.

Which she probably did.

"Searching the Main Land _would_ be hard by oneself," I agreed, hesitantly aware that now all eyes were on me.

Will shot me a look that I didn't particularly like, but it was almost canceled out by Shirley's worried one, followed by Senel's caution, Sandor's disbelief—still, at the fact that _he_ was right there—Csaba's equally harsh glare, and…Harriet's relief.

I let out a sigh, "We're going to help. Of course we're going to help, Sandor," he perked up at the mention of his name, "and his…_family_," I saw him smile, faintly, "depend on it. An honest man to an Honest deed."

I saw faint amusement on his face before he replied, "Honest, hmm? Of course," he closed his eyes, lips twitching, "No one likes to hear a story of tragedy. It's already written too much in our histories."

"I think we all know that by now," Will grated out.

"So," Jay opened his eyes, reflecting a hidden emotion that I couldn't even begin to read, "if all goes well, and we do what we need to do, this won't be one of them." Then he paused, sighing, "But of course, we don't know that yet."

Suddenly, Sandor _laughed_, "An' right when I think yer about ta say somethin' hopeful for once, ya go and shoot it down." He was trying to smile at Jay, he really was.

But all I saw was pain—quick, and fleeting—across his face, mirrored in the slight widening of purple eyes, and the sudden need to look away.

'_Misunderstanding.' _

Hadn't Norma used that word?

I shook my head, _'No.' _the fragments of conversations—the dealings that he had done, and the bloodshed—_'It's almost ironic.' _

He was doing an honorable deed. It was like he was trying to redeem himself. But I knew even asking for that much was, well, _too_ much. This was Jay, after all.

"Mm, well what can I say," said man spoke, finally, "it's in my personality, bandit," whatever pain had been there, was now gone, wiped clean with a smirk, "what more do you expect?"

**:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:**

(Moses' POV)

I didn't get it. Hell, I knew I was stupid, that could be the damn reason for it. But really, how the _hell_ could I not get my own actions. How—or _why_, prob'ly—did I open my damn mouth and _say_ anythin'?

An' why the hell did he go an' say that, like we were best _buds_ again? How the hell could he got off doin' that? _Why_? Or…How? Or—_'ah hell, I don't _know_ anymore.' _

I was so damn hell confused, and Csaba was tryin' ta get me ta stop talkin. But I _couldn't_, "Guess it's too much ta hope for a bit of change." Still joking. Still trying not to let _him_ get to me.

"It depends on the kind of change you hoped for." Still with that smirk. Still with the damn familiarity—_still_.

Shit.

Didn't know if that was a good thing or not, "Eh, one can hope can't they?" I didn't even know what the hell I was saying anymore. Hell I knew it wouldn't do any good in th' long run.

_Hell_ I knew it.

But t'hell with it all.

"Depends on what you hope for." T'hell with the—wait. Why did he—"But regardless of that, don't you think we should move somewhere else? It _is _getting late."

"Well then," Norma spoke up, grinning, "Why don't we move this to Teach's place?" Her eyes narrowed like she was _darin'_ him to say no.

**:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:**

(Jay's POV)

"After all, it _is_ the most convenient. We all know where it is, and it's in Werites Beacon—the only city on the Legacy. Whaddya say?" Actually I was pretty sure I already knew what he was going to say. No. Regardless of how many times I had actually _visited_ the town—unseen, of course—without their knowledge, that wouldn't matter.

To them I had never stepped foot in the town since he exiled me. And even now, I highly doubted he'd let me step foot in it. He wasn't one to go back on his decisions easily.

I had to give Norma credit, though, for all her air-headedness, she had a point. Werites Beacon _was_ the best meeting point, all things aside. It was enough to make Will hesitate. Long enough, for him to actually get a few thoughts in. Hopefully reasonable, but where Harriet was concerned, probably more biased than she'd want.

"I…don't know." A safe answer, not an all out _no_, like I had half-expected, "For tonight, fine, but," he hesitated, "no longer than tonight."

He was acting as if I was going to get angry at him for saying _no_. I had already _broken_ the exile—like he had, when his wife died—I had no _reason_ to get angry over something this..this _petty_.

"Fine," I closed my eyes, but I could feel him relax, "to your place, I presume? Lead the way."

He hesitated again, when I opened my eyes, "ah, y-yes. Let's…go."

He was worried, hesitant, he did _not_ want to lead me back into town. Where he had exiled me. Maybe he was even thinking of his own time, when he was exiled. Maybe. Perhaps, but he was telling himself that this was different. Yes. So much different than Amelia's parents, who exiled him for _kidnapping_ her.

'_Well I did screw up.' _I watched as he placed a hand firmly on Harriet's shoulder, _'to put it bluntly. I can understand that but—it's not like I—'_

"Aww, is JJ suuuuulking?" I jolted when I felt Norma's arms wrap, casually, around my shoulders.

"I have no reason to be." I answered back, quickly, not much louder than a hiss, as I tried to shrug her off.

"Of course you don't." she smiled in the 'I just blackmailed you' sort of way of hers, before letting go, "So let's _go go _goooo!" and suddenly she was up front, next to Will, and Chloe, and Senel and—

I was trailing behind.

And Csaba, for worse intentions, most likely, couldn't seem to stop glancing at me. Then at Moses. Only to have Moses _notice_ and say, "Quit worryin'" in that relaxed sort of way of his, which completely contradicted the expression on his face.

That was probably my fault. In fact, I was almost certain it was.

But I couldn't say a word, not before we were back at the towns entrance, with them. And they were standing there, on either side—Chloe, Senel, Shirley, Moses—Will, Harriet, Norma, Csaba—like this was some sort of corrination ceremony. Like I would be _burned_ and denied passage into the 'Holy Land' of Werites Beacon, if I stepped over the threshold.

Oh how horribly, _horribly_ ironic. No. I wasn't being sarcastic. Not at all.

**:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:**

(Csaba's POV)

He was acting like he hadn't done a thing. And Moses was _letting_ him get away with it. _Letting_ him, dammit. I knew this wouldn't turn out good, and it _wasn't_.

"It's been a while since you've been t'town, hasn't it?" Norma piped up from next to me, "I'd say let's take a look around, for your sake but—"

"I highly doubt I'm missing anything." He cut her off, eyes narrowing as he walked past us, easily—_too_ easily—and stepped into the city. The first time in _how_ many years? I couldn't remember anymore. He then turned, swiftly, and stared back at us, like he _knew_ why we were standing there, "Well?" he stepped to the side, and almost instantaneously, everyone moved.

Or everyone except me, and Moses, anyway. Trying to get through the door like there was some damn monster was about to come barrling out of the spring to attack us. No. The monster was already in the _city._ What's worse—we allowed him in ourselves.

"Wah—" suddenly Harriet—the poor girl—stumbled forward

"Harriet?!" Will whipped around, he had tried to drag her through quickly, but of course she'd lose her footing.

I didn't know her that well, but even I knew she had balance trouble. Along with the cooking trouble. And the anger management trouble. And the 'I hate you Will' trouble, that still lingered even after all these years—

But then the monster caught her.

**:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:**

(Harriet's POV)

I tried to pull my hand out of his grip, but he wouldn't let me. He knew I was probably going to stop—which I wasn't, _why_ I would even after what _he_ said, I didn't know—so his grip had been tighter than usual. I _had_ been going to say something, but then he loosened it. I thought it was okay.

But then I go and do the most _un_-lady like thing ever. Well, not ever, but it was pretty clumsy, and that had been my New Years resolution—_don't_ be clumsy. Tripping on an elevated piece of wood that made up the bottom half of the gate, was included. Or I'd like to think it was.

I had expected to fall, to embarrass myself in front of him, like I had done by crying earlier—but—but—

He went and _caught_ me.

'_Now what?' _

"Harriet!" Dad just finally noticed that I had let go of his hand, and he was turning, and he was seeing this and he was, of course, going to ask _if I was okay_.

But Jay beat him to it, "Are you okay?" with him, though, I knew he meant more than that. He was asking about earlier too, and I knew he could see how puffy my eyes were, even in the fading light.

I exhaled as he helped me straighten up, "Y-Yeah," then I tried to smile, "I just tripped. Thank…thank you though." Then I turned to dad, telling him the exact same thing, "I'm fine."

For a moment dad looked relieved, before tensing again, and opening his mouth, obviously _not_ liking the fact that Jay still had one hand on me. He closed his mouth, though, when Jay's hand immediately left my shoulder.

"Be more careful then." It was a warning, a cold one, but it was reminiscent of something…a conversation, held, before, back when everything was still nice and good and--

Two could play at this game, "Oh don't worry, I _will_ be."

His eyes lit up for a split second, and he _almost_ smirked, but dropped it at the last second, instead, turning to look at Will again, a silent cue for me to _stop _and to go back to my dad.

Like I didn't—couldn't—ever belong to him. The idiot.

"Wowie, so even little Hattie is clumsy from time to time," Norma whistled, taking a step next to me, before falling in place beside Jay, "That's no good, that's definitely no good!"

"I'd ask why but,"

"Save it." That was, surprisingly, Csaba, sounding much more tense than dad looked, "This is—I mean—"

"Much more important." I was sure if looks could kill Jay would have been dead. But then, looks never did bother Jay so much. "I believe we all understand that, _Norma_?"

Norma visibly flinched, before laughing, "Aww, okay, okay, teasing later then."

"Yes, later."

"Yup, much later."

I could almost hear the coming on of another inside joke—between them, me excluded—and I _wanted_—wanted to know what it was.

But. Wait. I was supposed to be angry at him. Or. Not. But. At least a little more—

I stopped, blinking, when I realized that dad had fallen behind—and that, oh, everyone had _started_ walking—

"Harriet."

"Yes daddy?" He was a sucker for that word, and I knew it.

"Are you sure you're okay? You—"

I shook my head, "I'm fine, _dad_." It didn't seem like the word would get me anywhere, "I just tripped."

He didn't look like he entirely believed me.

"It's the law of gravity, whatever goes up, must come down." Okay, it wasn't exactly the law of gravity, but, "I mean—I was going to trip sometime, and you kinda just…let go so suddenly," and now I was blaming it on him without entirely meaning to.

He sighed, giving up, not loudly, but close enough, "Fine. I'll believe you, for now, but," he gave me a warning look, "I want you to stay away from Jay."

My natural response would've been _why_, but I could feel the tears, still in the back of my throat, at the mention of him, "I think. I might. Just for you, daddy. But if he helps us," I closed one eye, stepping ahead of him for a second, "I might just _have_ to talk to him, okay?"

Great. Now I was asking permission.

"I would like it if you didn't."

"of course."

**:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:**

(Will's POV)

She laughed, and sounded so much like her mother. "I'm being serious, Harriet." She glanced back at me and smiled.

"I know."

But she couldn't possibly, "Harriet—"

"Teach! Hattie, we're going to _your_ house! Don't ya think it'd be a little _off_ if you weren't there?" Norma called from one of the many bridges scattered around the town.

"She has a point, dad," Harriet murmured before calling back, "We're _coming_!" then she glanced back at me, "Or at least I am. Dad, how long do you wanna stand here, in the dark?"

I sighed, "No, no I'm coming to."

"Then we best catch up."

I nodded my head, mutely, and watched as she began walking again, speeding up slightly, until she reached the bridge, where Norma and…Chloe, were still waiting. She said something to them, which Norma replied to, and Chloe smiled at, before the smile turned to a grimace, and then Norma, gripping Harriet's arm, suddenly, dashed off—

"Be care—" I couldn't even get that much out, as I watched them both stumble, for a moment, before righting themselves.

I was close enough now that I could hear Chloe's loud, collective sigh, "She hasn't grown up, even after all these years." Then she turned to me, "Raynard."

I smiled, "Norma will be Norma, I suppose."

"I concur," she shook her head softly, "but really, she's how old now? Twenty Four?"

I didn't think too long on that, "Around there."

"She needs to act like an adult, preferably sooner, rather than later." We started off again, "We need as much help as we can get, and we can't just leave her behind because of her childish antics."

that made me laugh, "But you know, even you had your moments." She turned her head away, slightly, in embarrassment, "and besides, you're only one year older than she is."

"S-So?" she quickened her pace enough so that I was no longer walking beside her, "Are you saying I'm—"

"Acting so much older than her." I cut her off, "And we'll need both of you."

Finally, my house was coming into view, with the same outrageously present stone pillars, and the same blue flowers, and the same name plate, door, and—

It was welcoming.

So was, oddly, the crowd at the door.

"Hey teach!" It was Norma again, rushing up to us, "Next time you decide to dwaddle, at _least_ give Hattie the key!" Then, with arms crossed, she said, almost to herself, but loud enough for Chloe and I to hear, "But since when did you lock your door?"

"Since I had a reason to." I answered, in a hushed tone.

That seemed to sober her up some, but not enough, it seemed. Not enough.

"I see," she turned around, "Well Teach is here now!" She announced.

"I think we see that, Norma," Senel droned, hand, protectively resting on Shirley's hip, and her, blushing.

How nice.

I couldn't help but smile at the site, "Yes, yes, the 'old man' is here," they parted to let me to the door, and I quickly brought out the key, unlocking the door before opening it, loudly, with a creak.

"Hey JJ," again, Norma, stated from somewhere behind me as I stepped in through the entryway, and then through the main door to the living room, "It's been a while since you've been to Teach's house, too."

"And?" he sounded, for lack of a better word, _bored_.

"Well, I can't say much changed but," I could almost hear the smirk in her words, "He has _brandy_ now!"

"What?" That was Harriet, "Oh! You mean that stuff in that bottle—"

"That you aren't allowed to touch." I cut her off, shooting her a glance from over my shoulder. I had expected her to immediately say 'I haven't' or some other variation of that, but—

Instead she almost looked apologetic.

"You…_haven't_ touched it, have you?"

She wiped the look immediately off her face, "Nope! Definitely haven't!"

'_Why oh why don't I believe you though?' _

"You really haven't."

"Didn't I just say—"

"Well then why don't you have some?" Norma cut her off, "Just this once, eh? I mean, we're all here after _how_ long?"

"No."

It almost surprised me to hear another voice, in the exact same tone.

It almost surprised me that it was _Jay_.

He glanced at me for a moment, before coughing lightly, "Besides, aren't we here to discuss something of…_much more_ importance?"

"But who says we can't have a few drinks while discussing it? I don't know about you but this isn't exactly the easiest thing to talk about." She was trying to come up with some sort of excuse, I could hear it, and it definitely wasn't working.

"It's because it's not easy to talk about that we most likely _shouldn't_, besides, I'm sure nearly everyone here besides myself, has been 'clued in' on the situation. So all that's left is to plan."

"But you don't know—" Csaba started, almost sounding like he had to force the words out of his mouth.

He gave him the strangest look, then, that made me realize—possibly a little more, than all those times before—what a valuable asset he would be. "That the Bandit Tribe is being afflicted by a horrible, and previously unnamed disease, which you came all the way to Werites Beacon, asking _everyone_ for help, because there seems to be no cure for it." At our, regrettably, dumbfounded expressions he let out a sigh, shrugged his shoulders and shook his head, "Isn't that the reason why you called _me _here?" He shot Norma a look, who tried to return it, but faltered at the last second.

"Well yeah," Moses spoke up, finally, "I guess it is." He was looking him dead in the eyes but, unlike Norma, he didn't look away. Not even when Jay chose to return the glance.

"Exactly." Finally he took the initiative to look away, "So shouldn't we get started?"

**:End Evening: 02:**

**Well this chapter definitely was a lot harder to write than the last one (not counting the fact that it's been a long time since I last worked on it, obviously putting a damper on how well things flowed together, or not), but I'm happy with it overall. It's also a bit shorter than the last chapter, switches POVs that much more often, but eh, it got what I needed it to get done. **

**And of course, have questions? Comments? CC? (because heck this is still a long chapter, and I probably haven't looked at it as closely as I could have) Send it via Review! **

**-Till the Next Chapter**

**Harmony283**


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